Pez

I've always liked PEZ. Probably as a kid but definitely as an adult. I used to buy mint Pez whenever I could, keep them a few years and then put them on my vintage toy stall. Star wars were always popular, as we're superheroes.

I've got a Pez in my hand at the moment. It's a woody from toy story. I think we must have got it Moonbase Junior.

Taking a look at it there are all sorts of numbers. On the base is a long 7 digit number 191 243 0, also on the base is a 2-digit number 07. On the side is a single digit 6 and on the other side is the US patent number 75238 41.

I can imagine that these numbers are important to serious PEZ collectors. Unfortunately I can only guess at what they all mean.

The best, most collectible PEZ I ever owned was green head and body Creature from the Black Lagoon from 1965. I sold it it on my my vintage toy stall in the Noughties. It was great fun to own search a collectible PEZ for a while.

Have you got any PEZ readers?

STARTER WARS

Its Moonbase Junior's "sith" birthday in September. We are thinking of getting him some vintage Star Wars figures and maybe an old vehicle or two.

When I say vintage I mean the first 3 films. 1977 onwards.

The project has begun with an Ewok. We picked up an old Teebo the other day in a junk shop. We have started!

And so to vehicles. It can't be outrageously priced so I've been looking at Ebay. I'm amazed how many 3D printed spare parts there are - a Millennium Falcon with that many repro parts reminds me of my Brother's patched-up Ford Cortina in 1976!

Transporters and At-Ats are just too dear. We can forget the Falcon.

I'm thinking a loose Palitoy X-wing and a few vintage figures. A starter set!

What do you think readers?

NO INDY

Over the years I've found action figures and toys from most film series. Aliens, Robocop, Rambo, Jurassic Park to name a few. Car boot sales seemed to have something to find from the all.

One film though has eluded me, Raiders of the Lost Ark. In fact I've never found any second hand figures or toys from any of the Indiana Jones films.

I often dreamt of finding a Belloq figure or Marian Ravenwood or even more fantastic, the Map Room, the set based on probably on my favourite scene, the discovery of the map room, where the sunlight hits the sceptre and lights up the model.

Have you any Indiana Jones figures, toys or games readers?

COOL TOYS FOR THE JUNIOR SPY

If like me your'e a budding 006 and a half then you'll love this site about spy toys. There's some real crackers and in great condition. Have you got any spy or secret agent toys?

https://www.coolandcollected.com/hakes-has-everything-a-budding-spy-might-need/

NICHELLE NICHOLS R.I.P.

 Sorry to learn that Nichelle Nichols, best known for playing Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original series of Star Trek has sadly passed away aged 89.

Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

A LOOK AT SUGAR SMACKS BADGES: 1

 Remember those free badge promotions featuring  Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's Captain Scarlet and Joe 90  TV series, that were given away  inside boxes of Kellogg's Sugar Smacks during 1968.

These vintage freebies are certainly popular collectables with Gerry & Sylvia Anderson fans.

There was six in each set  but as you had no idea what you were going  to get in the packet you were bound to end up with a one or two duplicates of a badge you already had, which meant time for some swapping with your mates. 

The first set of six badges features characters from Captain Scarlet and Mysterons.

They're quite small, just 32 mm.

 Five of the badges have a simple head and shoulders painted depiction of familiar members of Spectrum - Captains' Scarlet & Blue; Col. White, Lt. Green, and Destiny Angel , whilst the sixth has the Spectrum emblem.

On the rim of the badges, written in tiny writing: ATV (Overseas) Ltd. 1967.

The badges were promoted using this colourful eye-catching comic  advertisement. This one shown is from TV Century 21 , dated January 30th, 2068.

Television advert for the badges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSf_mXM3Fxw

S.I.G for Kellogg's Sugar Smacks!

Later in that year, Sugar Smacks began promoting Gerry & Sylvia's new TV series, Joe 90. 

A brand new set of six badges showing characters from Joe 90 were given away.

Each badge, was again a simple painting, in the same style of the previous Captain Scarlet ones, presumably Kellogg's used the same artist. 

On the rim written in tiny letters: ATV (Overseas) Ltd. 1968.

You got Joe 90 with his special glasses, Joe McClaine without, Prof. McClaine, and 'Uncle' Sam Loover. The other two show the World Intelligence Network badge, and finally the Joe 90 series logo.

There was also another colourful advert. This one from TV Century 21, dated November 30th, 2068.

Television advert for Joe 90 badges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3mGWimnMk

A bonus ninth birthday card badge, not part of the set but I think it's a nice addition. Was Joe 90 as popular with you once you turned ten?

I should add, even though it's not a breakfast cereal, that Lyon's Maid had their own somewhat underwhelming free Joe 90 badge promotion. By sending five tokens from Zoom iced lolly wrappers, you got in return a free Joe 90 badge.

This was the same size as the Kellogg's one, 32 mm, but has nothing written on the rim.

This advert from TV21 is dated June 7th , 2069.

Kellogg's Sugar Smacks are smashing! 

Back to Captain Scarlet, and I must admit these badges shown are a bit of a mystery to me. They look pretty good , and there's plenty of them about, too many to be bootlegs. People tend to describe them as cereal give-aways, but as yet  I can't find any precise information about them.

The five badges, which at 38 mm are slightly bigger than the Kellogg's and Lyon's Maid examples, show vehicles from Captain Scarlet, using art from the specification sheet that would have been given out to artists and advertisers at the time.. As I mentioned, they are often rather vaguely described as vintage, and from some un-named cereal promotion. I must admit I don't remember seeing  any promotional adverts for them or which cereal, if any produced these badges. Could they have been a freebie with packets of tea, or sandwich spreads? Heck! they might not have even been free!

Has anyone out there got any info on them, or better still an advertisement ?

More Kellogg's Sugar Smacks promotional posts to follow soon.

RANDY RAYDER IN OUTER SPACE ON RECORD

 I've had a copy of this Sixties LP for about 10 years now. Of interest to Project SWORD completists like me, it features the Project SWORD Probe Force 1 on its cover, which is renamed Athena.

The record is the story of Athena and aliens and more. The gatefold comes with a neat stitched-in comic strip.

Handily a like-minded fan, Greg Ehrbar,  has put it on YT in its entirety, so stick it on in the background while you paint an Apollo or make a space radio or whatever you're doing today!

Let me know what you think!

THE LAZER RANGING RETRO REFLECTOR TOY

 If you have some Apollo Moon Exploring toys you may have the rectangular silver double reflector gizmo seen here in this blister on Worthpoint.

Well, here's the story of the real thing, the Lazer Ranging Retro Reflector or LRRR. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knugI-LiAME

STOP PRESS!

Kevin has kindly pointed out that the toy is a miniature of the Apollo Seismometer and not the LRRR! Doh! Thanks Kev. I should have gone to Specsavers!